San Francisco Ballet, with Programme 1, dished up an equal
number of pleasing and disappointing works.

The evening got off to a slightly bad start with Fanfare,
a Jerome Robbins work first premiered in 1953. Unfortunately
it hasn't traveled well. The dancers were exceptional, there
is no doubt, but they looked a little peeved to be wearing peach
and baby blue tutus sporting huge appliqued instruments across
the bodice! There were some cringe-worthy moments of choreography,
as two men, mirroring each other slapped first their thighs,
hands, then each other's hands, and another poor soul was forced
to do a roly-poly wearing a crown. Had the dancers been dressed
in denim and leather the work could have taken on a West Side
Story look and have become almost acceptable (not, I admit,
for this company, programme or season but you understand my meaning?);
for me this ballet simply did not work.

The second work, A Garden by Mark Morris, was a welcome
relief after Fanfare. Its beautifully sculptured choreography
showed the dancers at their best. This work is calm and soothing,
set against a simple backcloth of sky and white clouds. Crisp
and clean, it was a joy to behold.

Magrittomania, choreographed by principal dancer Yuri
Possokhov, was for me the highlight of the evening. Visually
rich with interesting costumes (the stunning Yuan Yuan Tan in
a vivid red dress), and the occasional appearance of (growing)
green balloons, the piece did not simply rely on gimmicks but
also included some exceptional choreography. The movement highlighted
the dancers' versatility, being very contemporary in style, as
opposed to the earlier Fanfare and Symphony in Three
Movements which was to come later. Magrittomania was
intensely engrossing.

The last ballet, the aforementioned Symphony in Three Movements,
choreographed by George Balanchine, ended the evening. If you
like Balanchine, you would have loved it. If, like me, you aren't
so fussed, then it probably seemed like one too many pieces to
include in an evening's programme. I always do find quadruple
bills a bit hard going. Once again it showed off these wonderful
dancers well  they really are a talented company. I couldn't
help but feel however that it is about time we focused a little
more on the new, up-and-coming choreographers of our time rather
than reaching for the oldies time and time again. especially
in light of Magrittomania (Possokhov is definitely someone
to watch out for). I'm certainly not advocating that we forget
our dance heritage entirely, but its about time we started to
create our own 21st Century legends; artists creating this type
of quality work definitely deserve to be considered for the job
. . .

My second sight of programme 1 and I enjoyed it even more
this time, partly because of the good mood I was in after a week
of fine dance art and partly because of the excellent centre
stalls seat.

I felt more benign
towards Fanfare, although it's never going to be a favorite
for me.

A Garden looked as good as the first time and from
the centre I could see the use of geometry much more clearly.
A beautiful, beautiful ballet, which did not get the applause
it deserved from a fuller audience than we had seen since Monday.

Magrittomania impressed with its strong visual flair,
the vigorous male dancing in the pas de trois which reminded
me of Kletzmar and the slow pas de quatre. Yuan Yuan Tan and
Roman Rykine were again electrifying. The applause at the end
was very loud by London standards.

From my central seat, Symphony in Three Movements made
far more sense and, as with the two Mark Morris dances on show
this week, geometry is a crucial element. An additional bonus
tonight was the presence of Joan Boada in his first large role
of the week due to a niggling injury and I can understand why
people are very excited by him. Julie Diana used her long, excellent
legs to fine effect in the slow pas de deux, bringing wit and
playfulness to the steps in a refreshing performance.

The dancer next to me was most impressed with the overall
quality of the dancing throughout. This was my last night with
SFB in London and it was a fine way to say goodbye. Hmm.... there
is Othello in Spain in 2 weeks.

Please visit our special
section, San
Francisco Ballet in London,
for reviews, interviews and more previews related to San Francisco's
Summer 2001 tour to London.